Stone Fairy!

Outside the city gate,

Xie Ning rushed to the city wall, her footsteps making a series of hurried sounds on the stone steps. Her dress fluttered in the night wind, and a few strands of hair fell across her forehead, but she didn't bother to fix them.

The soldiers guarding the city wall made way for her when they saw her coming up.

Xie Ning strode quickly to the battlements, placed his hand on the cold stone wall, and looked out of the city.

Dusk had completely fallen, leaving only a hazy grayness between heaven and earth.

On the distant horizon, faint glimmers of fire could be seen.

The flames stretched out in one continuous line, densely packed, numbering approximately a thousand.

Xie Ning frowned.

She stared intently, and by the light of the torches, she could vaguely make out that it was a troop.

The line wasn't very orderly, but it was by no means a rabble. What alarmed her most was that half of them were wearing armor.

The armor gleamed coldly in the torchlight; though some were worn and tattered, it was undeniably solid iron armor.

Those who could wear this kind of armor were clearly not ordinary bandits.

Xie Ning's brows furrowed even more.

"Where did these come from?" Xie Ning asked in a deep voice, his gaze never leaving the people outside the city.

The general guarding the city stood beside her; he was a man in his thirties, with a dark complexion and a burly build, wearing a suit of gleaming armor and a long sword hanging at his waist. He clasped his hands in a fist and replied, "Miss, I do not know."

"This group appeared very suddenly, without any warning."

"This afternoon, a group of about a thousand people suddenly emerged from the mountains to the east and have remained there until now."

Xie Ning's eyes flickered slightly.

Yunmei City is located in the northwest. Although it is not a peaceful place, the threat of bandits has never been great.

In the past, when bandits occasionally appeared, they were always in small groups, ranging from a hundred to a few dozen people. They were not a significant threat and were easily wiped out.

This was the first time she had ever encountered a team of a thousand people with such good equipment.

Moreover, were they really bandits?

The thought flashed through Xie Ning's mind and then lingered there.

She couldn't help but think more deeply. This period was too special; her father was critically ill, the clan was in turmoil, and her uncles and elders each had their own thoughts.

Just then, a band of "bandits" numbering a thousand suddenly appeared outside the city...

The timing is too coincidental.

The coincidences are so striking that one can't help but be suspicious.

"What are these people up to?" Xie Ning suppressed his thoughts and continued to ask.

The defending general replied, "We are only besieging the city without attacking. Two groups of troops approached the city gate during the day, but we repelled them both."

"Whenever we made a move, they retreated, running very fast, and we couldn't catch up, so we failed to inflict any effective damage."

Xie Ning frowned.

Surround but do not attack.

If she doesn't intervene, these people will remain outside the city, posing a danger to merchants and travelers coming and going from Yunmei City; if she sends troops to wipe them out, they will run away, but they won't get far before returning, creating a cycle that repeatedly ties up the troops in the city.

This was clearly premeditated, intended to tie down the military's forces.

Xie Ning's gaze sharpened slightly.

No, Yunmei City is a major city in the Northwest. Logically speaking, with the strength of Yunmei City's troops, even if the enemy runs away after a single encounter, they should still be able to inflict effective damage.

unless……

Xie Ning slowly turned his head, his gaze falling on the general guarding the city.

The general felt a little uncomfortable under her gaze and lowered his eyes slightly, but quickly raised them again, his expression remaining normal.

Xie Ning stared at him for a moment, then suddenly spoke, her voice neither loud nor soft.

"Did Xie Zong contact you?"

The general guarding the city involuntarily tensed up.

In that instant, his shoulders shrugged slightly, his fingers unconsciously curled, and even his breathing paused for a moment. The change was extremely brief, lasting only a blink of an eye, and most people would not even notice it.

But Xie Ning noticed it.

then,

Xie Ning's gaze grew even colder.

The defending general quickly regained his composure, his expression unchanged, and clasped his hands in a fist salute, replying, "Marquis Xie has not sought me out."

Xie Junhou was Xie Zong's military rank in the army.

Xie Ning didn't press further, but simply stared at him coldly, her gaze sharp as a knife.

The general kept his eyes downcast and remained motionless, but fine beads of sweat seeped from his forehead.

There was silence for a moment.

Xie Ning withdrew his gaze, turned to face the outside of the city, and said in a voice as cold as the winter wind: "Deal with this band of bandits as soon as possible."

"This..." The city's garrison commander hesitated for a moment, then clasped his hands and said, "Miss, this matter needs to be considered carefully. This humble general needs to consult with the Commandant."

"Lord Yan, please address me by my military rank," Xie Ning said coldly.

Before he could speak, Xie Ning took something out of his sleeve.

It was extremely conspicuous in the night.

It was a token, pure gold, about the size of a palm, with the character "令" (command) engraved on the front and a soaring eagle on the back.

The token gleamed with a deep golden light under the torchlight, exuding a weighty and unquestionable majesty.

Yan Junhou's pupils suddenly contracted.

Thank you for the military tally.

This token can mobilize all the garrison troops in Yunmei City.

The city defense battalion, the city patrol unit, and the garrison outside the city treat orders as if they were from the city lord.

Xie Junhou's Adam's apple bobbed, and beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. He knelt down on one knee, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and lowered his voice.

"Yes."

......

the other side,

In a brightly lit room filled with the smell of medicine, calming incense burned quietly.

Lying on the bed was a middle-aged man with his eyes closed and his breath faint, yet one could still discern the majesty between his brows.

This man was Xie Ning's father, Xie Tian.

Daozhen sat at the table and chair beside the bed, looking at Xie Tian with his eyes on a pebbly elm seed that radiated a faint vitality.

I see,

Dao Zhen flicked his finger, and the emerald green elm seed transformed into a stream of light that entered Xie Tian's brow.

After the elm seeds were absorbed into him, Xie Tian's already extremely weak life force began to slowly recover, and his originally pale face gradually became rosy.

This elm seed is the last essence of the great elm tree. It has no demonic aura or negative emotions, only pure vitality. Although it cannot bring people back to life, it can still be considered a precious medicine for healing.

Daozhen's decision to give Xie Tian this elm seed was also the result of careful consideration.

Xie Ning is still too young to handle such a large undertaking as the Xie family.

Moreover, speaking of this elm seed, Xie Ning should have had one as well.

About half an hour later,

Xie Tian slightly opened his tightly closed eyes, and the first thing he saw was Dao Zhen sitting next to him.

His otherworldly aura surprised even those who had met many Taoists; it was the very essence of Tao.

Xie Tian quickly sensed the changes within himself and revealed an expression of disbelief. He was well aware of his injuries; even with the power of the Xie family, he was barely clinging to life.

"Thank you so much for saving my life, Daoist Master." Xie Tian tried to get up to express his gratitude.

Daozhen sent out a gentle force to soothe Xie Tian.

Daozhen smiled and said, "No rush, just focus on digesting the life force within you."